In this episode, we talk with Christopher Lee about his latest book, “The Art Of Crafting User Stories” (available on Amazon). Christopher shares the fascinating origin story of his book and how principles of product management were applied to its creation.
Product Development Insights
Christopher draws intriguing parallels between software development and book creation, highlighting two key concepts that apply to both realms. He introduces the concept of “debugging for books” and shares essential tips, like the importance of having multiple content reviewers and utilizing the technique of “Rubber Duck Debugging” for authors. The examples he uses also clarify how his approach to Product Management can help you with software products.
Learning To Empathize With The User
We discuss how understanding the user perspective is a critical skill for Product Owners and teams, and enables them to write better User Stories. Christopher emphasizes the development of perspective-taking and compassion for others, starting with self-reflection. He introduces tools like “The Feeling’s Wheel” and explores the concept of uncovering the needs behind user needs, known as “Jobs to be Done.”
In this segment, we also refer to User Story Mapping, Google Design Sprints, and the book Radical Candor.
Crafting User Stories: Avoiding Ambiguity
Christopher shares some of the most effective tools to help teams truly empathize with their software users, fostering a deeper understanding that can greatly inform the user story process.
Delving into the actual act of writing user stories, Christopher provides invaluable advice on avoiding ambiguity. He advocates for collaborative efforts with engineering and design teams, using user stories as a foundation. Additionally, he introduces the “Given – When – Then” format for clarity and efficiency.
Navigating User Story Estimation, Other Planning Challenges
Christopher addresses common challenges in user story estimation and emphasizes the importance of adaptability in Agile and User Stories. He offers strategies to prevent downstream consequences and encourages direct engineer-user interaction for swift feedback.
Prioritization is a critical aspect of planning that Christopher dives into, providing a toolkit of models and methods. He emphasizes the importance of aligning product development with organizational mission and North Star metrics, ultimately honing in on the right end-users.
Expert Interviews, Bringing Different Perspectives On User Stories
Christopher introduces a unique element in his book—expert interviews. These interviews offer diverse perspectives on Agile, user stories, and collaborative work, enriching the reader’s experience and understanding.
Parting Words of Wisdom
In a final piece of advice, Christopher underscores that crafting user stories is a team effort, emphasizing that no one person can do it alone.
About Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee is a seasoned Product Management Coach, known for his expertise as a product manager and technology consultant. His insights into the industry are encapsulated in his book, ‘The Art of Crafting User Stories’, and advanced product management methodologies he created when at Ernst & Young.
You can link with Christopher Lee on LinkedIn and connect with Christopher Lee through the Product Coach Labs.
